The Relay for Life 2005 raised nearly $29,000 for cancer research through the American Cancer Society. As of Saturday morning, June 11, the total was $28,500 but not all the receipts had been turned in.

The team Tyler's Troops, named in honor of Tyler Mason, was the top fund raising unit turning in about $8,000.

Tyler developed a brain tumor when two-years-old and has been battling cancer ever since. He is now about ten. Using a walker he walked around the walkway with the help of some loving folk.

The estimated crowd of 300 was in good spirits and enjoyed the evening in spite of the threat of rain and at least one downpour.

This year the event was held outside the new lobby of the Lewis County Middle School, and that worked well. The organizers were able to use the concession stand inside, and some of the folk sat inside at the tables and enjoyed the food and drink.

Several performers provided the entertainment for the evening.

Blair Mays, Alison Skaggs, Steven Chinn and Jared Lewis form a group of young people called From the Riverbank and they sang contemporary gospel music. Jessica Harman Galloway, Harriet Jackson and Gary Billups did solo stints to please the crowd. Ethan Howard Bivens presented two numbers on his violin.

Between performances Byron Powers acted as the auctioneer to auction some donated items. Angela Iery purchased the Relay for Life Quilt made by the Vanceburg Christian Church’s Quilting Club for $200. Carol Gilbert bought an afghan made by Vivian Lykins for $100.

Gilbert has served as the event's chairperson for five years. Next year that position will be filled by two ladies, Angela Iery and Jackie Brown.

The 2005 Relay for Life sponsors were Ron's IGA, Coroplast, Meadowview Regional Medical Center, Brewer Lawn Service, Citizen's Deposit Bank, Vanceburg Lions Club, Southern Ohio Medical Center, Lewis County Primary Care, Goodwin Lumber Company, Hilliard Veneer & Export, Fleming-Mason Energy, Applegate Logging, Lewis County Ministerial Association, VFW Post 5438 and Ladies Auxiliary, Lewis County Fiscal Court, the Lewis County Herald and WKKS Radio.

Relay for Life teams were the Clarksburg Christian Church, Vanceburg First Baptist Church, Judy's Gems, Lewis County Central Elementary, Virgil's Volunteers, the Light House Gang, Maysville Community and Technical College, Lewis County Adult Education Program, the Red Hat Society, Tyler's Troops and the Vanceburg United Methodist Church.

Relay for Life Committees and leadership in addition to the event chair Carol Gilbert were cancer survivor Judy Carver as honorary chairperson; Shanalee Applegate for sponsorship and team recruitment; Jackie Brown and Jo Esahm in charge of survivorship; Christa Little and Granville Little, activities; Angela Iery and Sue Lee, luminaria; Agnes McAdams and Jackie Claxon, accounting; Mary McClurg, publicity; Danny Enix, Maurice Carver and Jerry Wilburn were in charge of logistics; Lena Wamsley Fugate, secretary; Al Owens, emcee; Karen Mason, decorations; and Peggy Hester and Peggy Ross were in charge of the food.

The ceremonies were opened with Whitney Cooper beautifully presenting the National Anthem a cappella.

The cancer survivors made the first walking lap. Their caregivers and family members joined them for the second lap. All Relay Team Members joined the third lap, and everyone began to walk on the fourth lap.

As usual the luminaria ceremony highlighted the evening. As the names honoring the survivors and remembering the deceased victims of cancer were read emotions ran high. Many folk sobbed and wept as they recounted precious memories of those gone on.

One member of the community, Harry Lee Moore, succumbed to lung cancer earlier in the day but some friends and family members purchased luminaria in his memory by the time of the event.

Several cancer survivors came forward to receive commemorative medallions. They were Charles Thurman, Wayne Clark, Malcolm Roe, Lynn Lykins, Judy Carver, Billy Simpson, Phyllis Stanfield, Faye Stafford, Carl Lee, Howard Brewer, Mary Scott, Larry Thurman, Carolyn Henderson, Erica Reeder, Sabrina Thomas, Tyler Mason, Joyce Bentley and Treva Fossit.

Plans for next year's Relay for Life are already under way.

Kennedy asked the board to authorize him, after consulting with the company's accountant, to re-allocate how much money the company is allocating to spend on the gas and water departments. He said that on paper too much is allocated for the gas department and not enough to the water department. The changes need to reflect the reality of the situation.

The board honored that request and authorized him to make the changes that are in the best interest of the company.

Kennedy informed the board that a company in Ohio burns wood for its power plant and has offered to come and pick up the local company’s wood chips and any big trees that are cut down. No money is involved, but Lykins had pointed out that the 10-year wood waste contract does not include a termination policy. The board tabled that issue until the Ohio company can be contacted to add a clause providing for termination of the agreement if things don't work out.

Kennedy told the board that he is waiting on completion of the current audit and probably will not be able to have the annual financial reports available to the board until August.

The board approved the financial reports and the June invoices before adjourning.

By Al Owens

Meeting in regular session last week the Lewis County Fiscal Court debated the issue of county insurance and continued to deadlock on the matter.

Currently St. Paul Insurance represented by Ron LeMaster provides the property and liability coverage and Kentucky Association of Counties (KACo) provides the workers compensation insurance. However, KACo has informed the court that if Lewis County does not purchase the entire coverage package including property and liability insurance then the company will not renew the workers compensation policy when it expires on June 30.

Different figures were quoted during the discussion but the KACo total package is about $30,000 less expensive than the St. Paul offer. County Judge Steve Applegate and First District Magistrate Milt Stanfield voted to accept KACo's package.

Second District Magistrate Todd Ruckel and First District Magistrate Keith Chapman favor the St. Paul offer. They argue that KACo does not have enough financial strength to cover the liabilities in case of a disaster, and in the event of such an occurrence the county would be in trouble.

Applegate told the court that about 90 percent of Kentucky counties had coverage with KACo.

Stanfield's motion to accept the KACo proposal resulted in a two-two tie vote.

Chapman's move to accept the St. Paul proposal if KACo fails to renew the workers comp on July 1 also ended in a tie vote.

The law requires that the county have insurance coverage, and that issue must be settled by July 1. The issue will be considered again at a recessed meeting scheduled for Monday, June 27, at 9:30 a.m.

Although no representative from Adelphia Cable attended the meeting the court moved to grant a temporary renewal of the cable company's franchise for the western part of Lewis County for three months. Adelphia's legal department has not completed the review of the changes in the Lewis County ordinance granting renewal of the franchise for ten years. Adelphia had requested a 15-year contract.

Melony Furby from Maysville and Harvey Denham from Vanceburg appeared before the court as volunteer representatives of the River Valley Agritourism Alliance.

Furby told the court that the Alliance is trying to raise funds to hire a director to promote agritourism in the five-county region of the Buffalo Trace Area Development District. She noted that several organizations have already agreed to help fund the project.

She said that on August 1 the Alliance is applying for funds from the State Agriculture Board.

Denham addressed the court and stated that Lewis County has not taken much part in promoting agritourism. He suggested that the community could promote the leasing of land for deer hunting as well as canoeing and musky fishing.

He pointed out that the alliance could also help small businesses get insurance.

Furby said that the Alliance requests a donation of $2,500.

The court voiced support of the project but tabled the issue until the next regular session to give the court time to come up with the funds for the donation.

Lewis County Sheriff Bill Lewis presented his department's tax settlement for 2004, stating that the department had an overpayment of only $54.91. The court quickly accepted the settlement subject to the usual audit.

The court approved the advertising for bids for black topping for the 2005-2006 fiscal year but tabled the advertising for the chip/seal bids until the June 27 recessed session so the court can add a list of specific roads needing that work to the bid package.

On the recommendation of Applegate the court approved the appointment of four members with staggered terms to the Lewis County Planning Commission. Roger Jahn's term will expire on July 31, 2006; Phil Hull's will expire on the same date in 2007; Beth Love's in 2008; and Kevin Cornette's in 2009.

The court also approved the Concord Mayor’s recommendation of Lynda Polley to the Planning Commission. Her term will expire on July 31, 2009.

The court heard the second reading of the annual budget for fiscal year 2005-2006 and adopted the budget.

The budget shows a total of $3,629,694 in the General Fund; $2,531,985.61 in the Road Fund; $712,461 in the Jail Fund; and $1,250,000 set aside for the construction of buildings from the Community Development Block Grants. The grand total of all funds comes to $8,124,140.61.

The court routinely approved the payment of reoccurring expenses such as utilities, mailing and postage, insurance, travel expenses, etc., without having to bring those items before the court every month. That action includes expenses regulated by state law.

The health insurance contracts for the next fiscal year were approved. The insurance is with the Administrative Service Groups and is the same as last year but with a 9.2 percent increase in the premiums, a little less than expected. The county moved to continue paying 66 percent of the premiums with the employees paying 34 percent.

Moving to meet the requirements of state law the court adopted an ordinance limiting the number of certified deputy sheriffs the sheriff may recommend for appointment to six. That number was determined and requested by Sheriff Bill Lewis.

The court quickly moved to renew the annual recycling agreement with Mason County. The agreement remains unchanged from the past several years.

Applegate recommended two re-appointments to the Board of Trustees of the Helen H. Rayburn Public Library of Lewis County. They are Helen Rayburn, whose term will expire on July 1, 2009, and Carol Gilbert whose term will expire on July 31, 2009.

The court approved an amendment to the Personnel Policy regarding funeral leave. The amendment permits up to two paid working days off for the funerals of immediate family members. The employee must obtain a statement from the funeral director showing the details of the funeral.

The Garrison Fire Department requested a contribution from the court for the annual Independence Day celebration fireworks. The court moved to donate $500 for that purpose.

At the request of the Lewis County Boys and Girls Club the court moved to terminate its status as the fiscal agent for that organization. The club said that having the Lewis County Board of Education act as the fiscal agent would be to the club's advantage.

Sheriff Bill Lewis and Jailer Tim Underwood gave their monthly activity reports to the court.

The court approved the treasurer's report. It shows that the total receipts for the General Fund to date were $1,750,925.37 with disbursements totaling $1,509,564.29 leaving a balance of $241,361.08.

Road Fund receipts totaled $1,852,199.25 with disbursements coming to $1,682,952.67 leaving a balance of $169,346.58.

Jail Fund receipts totaled $758,343.63 with disbursements at $749,058.14 leaving a balance of $9,285.49.

Receipts for all funds totaled $4,361,468.25 with total disbursements of $3,941,474.10 leaving a balance of $419,993.15.

The court approved all the claims for the month but tabled the transfers until the recessed session set for June 27 just before the end of the fiscal year.

Sheriff Bill Lewis spoke up for the Board of Elections and requested that the board be put on the agenda for the next regular session. He explained that the Board of Elections is seeking an agreement with Bivens Chapel Church to use their facilities as a voting location, but the parking lot needs to be paved in order to meet the state's requirements to accommodate handicapped and disabled voters. The board would pay the church $1.00 per year, and that would permit the county to pave the required parking area for those voters.

In addition to that Lewis said that changes would have to be made at several poll locations to meet those state requirements, and the board wants to explain those necessary changes and the accompanying costs to the court.

Applegate announced that the next regular session of the Lewis County Fiscal Court would be held on Monday, July 11, at 9:30 a.m. in the third floor courtroom of the courthouse.

He also announced that the county has applied for and will receive $55,765.44 from the state’s county emergency fund to repair damage from a recent storm that hit the Crooked Creek area.

Rather than adjourning the June meeting the court recessed the session until 9:30 a.m. on Monday, June 27.